Composite metal tube and ring and a process for producing a composite metal tube and ring

ABSTRACT

There is provided multicolored metal rings and multicolored metal tubing and a method for producing metal rings and metal tubing for use in forming multicolored rings. At least two contrastingly colored metal components are arranged in a container. The metal components in said container are compressed so as to form a billet of distorted multicolored metal. The billet is extruded thereby forming multicolored patterns in the tubing.

RELATIONSHIP TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This is a U.S. non-provisional application relating to and claiming thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/684,803,filed May 18, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improvements in and relating to the productionof composite metal tubing used for the manufacture of wedding bands,rings, and other tubular jewelry products, and more particularly to themanufacture of decorative metal objects which display a marbled, banded,or mosaic pattern on their surface produced by the novel lamination ofmultiple layers of two or more distinctly colored precious and, ornon-precious metals.

Decorative metal techniques having a regular, random, or mosaic likepatterns, such as the Japanese art of Mokume Gane (woodgrain metal), andthe pattern welded steel (often times referred to as Damascus steel) ofJapanese, Viking, and Middle Eastern smiths have been known for manyyears and continue to be used by today's artisans. These are processesfor the welding and subsequent decorative pattern development of layersof contrasting colored metals or alloys and they have proven to bestructurally and aesthetically superior to many other techniques such asinlay, overlay, double castings and solder bonding for both technicaland aesthetic reasons. All of these methods aim to produce a compositematerial that displays colored patterns that are smooth and flush withthe surface of an object, and one that is aesthetically pleasing, strongand durable.

The conventional methods of Mokume Gane, and Damascus Steel begin bypreparing flat layers of contrasting colored metals or alloys and thenwelding them by various means into a large block or billet of compositemetal. To expose the internal layers within the billet it is then takenthrough a number of labor intensive stages of selectively slicing,carving, twisting, forging, rolling, and forming to create intricate andaesthetically pleasing patterns on the surface of the wrought composite.After the desired pattern is imparted to the metal by these and othermethods, the metal is then formed into an object of the makers design,such as a wedding ring. When forming a wedding ring, from such material,it is necessary to join the two ends of the rod or sheet that is used tocreate the ring so as to form a continuous, unbroken band. This seam ismost often joined by soldering, by welding, or by cold connections suchas rivets. Seamless rings may be made from this same material bymachining the ring shape from a large block of the laminated compositemetal.

A metal extrusion method has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,195issued to Darling. Darling discloses the bonding of multicolored metalcomponents together to form a composite block, rod, or billet. Thespecific examples in the Darling patent disclose that one of the metalsin the billet is in powder form, while the other(s) is (are) in awrought form of wire, mesh, fragments, or shot. The two metals areplaced in a container and the container is vibrated so that the powderis compacted around the other metal. The container, with the metals, isextruded so as to produce a billet of composite metal. After extrusion,the billet's internal patterning is exposed by serration machining, andthen rolled into patterned metal strip to be used in fabricating variousjewelry objects.

Other methods may be employed for the manufacture of metal productsdisplaying decorative designs or patterns on their surface in two ormore distinctly colored metals. For example, a regular or irregularpatterned effect may be produced by machining or acid etching down intothe surface of the metal and then filling these cavities with a metal ormetals of a different color, from that of the metal base, so as to forman inlay in which the pattern or decorative inlay lies flush with thesurface of the base. These inlays may be soldered in place, ormechanically held by undercutting the cavities in the base metal andforging the inlay metal into the cavity until it spreads out andconforms to the dimension of the cavity thereby binding it in place.

A further method consists in preparing composite metal rod or tubecomposed of two or more concentric tubes nested one within the other ofdifferently colored metals, or alloys, intimately bonded to one anotherby drawing or extruding the rod, or tubing, in such a way as tometallurgically bond the individual tubes into one solid piece. The rodmay be formed into a variety of jewelry objects, or rings such aswedding bands may be cut from tubing made by this method. The variouscolors of the metals used to create this composite tubing are exposed byfurther machining and selectively removing the top layer or layers ofmetal to reveal the contrasting layers below the original surface, andthereby create a decorative pattern.

Another method known as double casting consists of casting or machininga metal form to the desired size and shape to be utilized for the makingof a jewelry or decorative object, which includes negative spaces withinthe form that takes the shape of the desired surface or inlay pattern.Metal of another color or alloy is then cast into these negative spacescreating a solid form that displays the desired surface pattern. Amethod very similar to double casting utilizes the same kind of cast ormachined base that has been shaped to include negative spaces. Thesespaces are then filled with metal powder, which is compacted andsintered into place, thus achieving an appearance comparable to doublecasting.

Each of the above methods, however, suffers from certain inherentdisadvantages, which renders it unsuitable or unsatisfactory for theeconomical production of finely patterned multicolored rings and otherdecorative metal objects, particularly objects such as wedding bandswherein the bonds between different metals must be strong enough to holdup to stretching and sizing as well as withstand decades of wear.Aesthetically these methods are also inferior in regards to producing apattern with flowing, natural looking, or woodgrain patterns.

The traditional methods employed to create Mokume Gane and DamascusSteel cannot efficiently be utilized in a factory setting. Both of thesemethods are oriented to small-scale production by highly skilledartisans. Although these methods are capable of yielding very beautifuland finely patterned material, the knowledge, judgment, skill, andexperience required to create this material is quite extensive and farbeyond the expertise of factory workers. Additionally, because thematerial must be hand wrought, inconsistency of patterning and materialintegrity is quite common. Another drawback of material formed by othermethods such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,419, U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,070, U.S.Pat. No. 4,399,611, U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,790, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,558is that all are necessarily formed into, or utilize flat billets. Thesebillets are then formed into patterned rod or sheet, which must then (inthe example of wedding rings), be shaped into a circular ring form witha riveted, soldered, or welded seam. This degrades the ring in a numberof ways.

-   -   1. The seam is an eyesore, which spoils the flow of the pattern        in the composite metal ring.    -   2. The seam is a weak place in the ring and subject to breakage        if the ring undergoes stress.    -   3. If it ever becomes necessary to re-size the wedding ring, the        seam is vulnerable to breakage and its presence restricts the        methods by which the ring may be successfully sized, making the        whole process more labor intensive and expensive.

Machining a seamless band from traditional patterned material also hassevere disadvantages. When machining a ring from this material, it isnecessary to cut away 80 to 90% of the material to create a ring shape.This is quite an inefficient use of the material, and when, in the caseof wedding rings, the materials are precious metals, is costprohibitive. Secondly, options for creating interesting patterns inthick billets of material that are large enough from which to machinerings, are severely limited, being simple variations of flat laminates.

The inlay process previously outlined is labor intensive, and requiresskilled artisans trained in the method. These techniques are also beyondthe skills of most factory workers and do not lend themselves to highvolume production. In addition, soldered or hammer inlay techniques donot create a true metallurgical bond, so that the bonds created betweenthe inlay and the base metal with these methods are forever vulnerableto separation. This creates many problems if the material has to bealtered in shape, or forged, and in the case of wedding rings, makessizing difficult and expensive. Lastly, inlay techniques by their verynature are quite coarse and cannot produce the fine sort of patterningpossible by other methods.

The method utilizing concentric nested tubing (U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,398and others) also has severe limitations. Because the tubing is axiallystraight walled, with the few layers of the composite tubing lyingparallel to one another, patterning options are very limited and are, ina factory setting, constrained to cuts performed on a lathe or millingmachine. By machining through the outer layers of tubing, differentmetals are exposed within the tube's core. This creates a simplepattern, but it is neither fine, nor does it yield a product where thedesign is flush to the smooth surface of the overall form. While thismethod can effectively mimic the appearance of difficult to producemetal overlay techniques, it is not suited for producing either fine orinteresting patterns flush to the surface of a wedding ring, or otherjewelry object. Also, because the cross sectional thickness of weddingbands made by this process varies widely, altering the finger size ofthese rings by conventional methods of stretching and rolling can bedifficult.

The double casting method is also quite limited. The production of finepatterns in the base metal by casting is very difficult due to thedelicateness required from both the wax models, and the metal castings.Also, the great variation in the thicknesses within the base metalpiece, make casting these shapes difficult. Machining, etching, andstamping may also be used to create the cavities into which the inlaymetal may be cast, but these methods are not capable of producing finepatterning of any substantive depth. This method also achieves nometallurgical bonding, and therefore the metal layers are prone toseparate when any stress is applied to the object. The same holds truefor the powder sintering method. While this method is superior to doublecasting in the sense that the inlay can achieve a diffusion bond withthe cast or machined base, these bonds are still fragile and vulnerableto breaking in subsequent forming operations such as forging, rolling,or sizing.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide a novel and efficient methodof making composite decorative metal tubing from which wedding rings maybe directly produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of makingcomposite decorative metal or alloy tubing, or other cross sectionalshapes, by an extrusion method.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel and efficientmethod for creating folds, wrinkles, upsets, distortions, and othervariations in the planar orientation and thickness of multiple metals oralloys for the purpose of imparting certain premeditated orserendipitous patterns to the surface of, and or, within the body of acomposite tube or other extruded shape. The metals and or alloys maytake the form of sheet, strip, wire, shot, granules, fragments, powder,clad metals, or pieces of previously extruded composite metal material.

Another object is to provide a method of making a decorative metalcomposite of regular, geometric, and mosaic pattern, or of irregular,flowing, and natural woodgrain looking pattern which is efficient andcost effective to produce in a factory setting.

A further object is to provide a method of making composite metaltubing, or other extruded shape that exhibits a fine, aestheticallypleasing, and complex pattern that does not require highly skilledartisans to produce, but can be mass-produced in a factory setting bytrained workers.

A further object is to enable composite decorative metal tubing, orother extruded shape to be produced from a plurality of different metalsor alloys in a single operation.

A further object is to enable composite decorative metal tubing, orother extruded shape to be produced with metals such as tantalum,titanium, niobium and others that cannot be bonded to precious jewelrymetals by conventional means.

A further object is to enable composite decorative metal tubing to beproduced in such a manner that the pattern that appears on the surfaceof rings, or objects made from the tubing, or other extrusion profile,can be altered and enhanced by post extrusion patterning manipulationsincluding, but not limited to carving, grooving, turning, forging,punching, die pressing, and rolling.

Another object of this invention is to produce patterned composite metaltubing from which seamless wedding bands may be made that exhibitcertain characteristics imparted to the composite by the manner in whichthe composite metal billet is assembled, consolidated before extrusion,extruded into tubing, and/or any post extrusion processes which affectthe final surface and internal configurations of the different metalcomponents of the tubing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one form of this invention, there is provided amethod for producing metal tubing for use in forming multicolored rings.At least two contrastingly colored metal components are arranged in acontainer. The metal components are compressed in the container so as toform a billet of distorted multicolored metal. The billet is extruded,thereby permanently bonding the metals together and forming amulticolored patterned tubing. The two components may be separate or maybe integral, such as in the case of clad metals, when they are arrangedin the container.

In accordance with another form of this invention, there is provided aring formed as a continuous metal annulus. The annulus defines anopening for receiving a human finger. The annulus is seamless. Theannulus contains at least two contrasting colored metal components. Thecontrasting colored metal components have multi-directional planarorientations. The annulus has an inside surface and an outside surface.The contrasting colored metal components form patterns on at least theoutside surface and may also form such patterns on the inside surface ofthe ring.

In accordance with yet another form of this invention, there is providedtubing adapted to be cut and shaped to form a plurality of rings. Anelongated metal tube is provided. The tubing has a cavity therethroughin a longitudinal direction. The tubing is seamless. The tubing containsat least two contrasting colored metal components. The contrastingcolored metal components have multi-directional planar orientations. Thetubing has an inside surface and an outside surface. The contrastingcolored metal components forming patterns on at least the outsidesurface and may form such patterns on the inside surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

To enable the invention to be fully understood and readily carried intoeffect, reference is now directed to the following description andexamples, which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,illustrate by way of example various preferred manners in which theinvention may be carried out, it being clearly understood that theseexamples are just a few of the many ways in which the invention may beapplied, and that the invention is in no way limited to or by theseexamples.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective cut away view of a cylindrical canister inwhich a plurality of two distinct metal sheets is arranged.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective cut away view showing the pre-extrusionconsolidation and distortion patterning of the billet metals within thecylindrical canister, which is supported by a retaining die.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the canister, with a noseconeattached, and its consolidated billet metal components ready to beextruded.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are side cut away views of the tube extrusion process.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of composite metal tubing showing oneend that has been shaped to a half round ring form by lathe turning.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of composite metal tubing showing oneend that has been shaped to a squared ring form by CNC lathe turning.

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of composite metal tubing showing oneend that has been shaped to a half round ring form by lathe turning withadditional patterning grooves.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a half round ring form that was cut on a lathewith patterning grooves and has been rolled to a smooth half roundprofile with a ring roller.

FIG. 9 is an end view of a tube that was fully consolidated prior toextrusion.

FIG. 10 is an end view of a composite metal tube similar to the tubeshown in FIG. 9 that was only partially consolidated prior to extrusionand then fully consolidated during the extrusion process.

FIG. 11 is an end perspective view of a canister with an arrangement ofstrips of sheet metal surrounded by powdered metal.

FIG. 12 is a detail view of the surface pattern of an extruded compositemetal tube which was produced from the contents of the canisterillustrated in FIG. 11.

FIG. 12A is a detail view of the surface pattern of an extrudedcomposite metal tube which was produced from the contents of thecanister illustrated in FIG. 11 to which small metal shot has been addedto the powder.

FIG. 13 is a detail view of the surface pattern of composite metal tube44 formed from the contents of the canister illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a side perspective cut away view of a canister which containsa loosely spiraled, perforated, sheet of metal surrounded by metalpowder of a different kind or alloy.

FIG. 15 is a side perspective cut away view of a canister which containsmetal strips, rod, wire, shot, and also pieces of previously extrudedcomposite material of a variety of metals and alloys exhibiting avariety of surface and interior patterning.

FIG. 16 is a top view of a canister which contains an arrangement ofmetal rods, which have a core of one metal or alloy, and an outer layerconsisting of another metal or alloy.

FIG. 17 is a top detail view of a canister which contains an arrangementof metal rods, which have a core of one metal or alloy, and an outerlayer consisting of another metal or alloy.

FIG. 18 is a detail perspective view of a half round ring cut from thecomposite metal tube that was produced by the extrusion of the billetinside the canister of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a side cut away view of a partially consolidated billet thathas been loaded into a hydrostatic extrusion press.

FIG. 20 is a side cut away view of the billet in FIG. 19 undergoinghydrostatic extrusion.

FIG. 21 shows a cross section detail of a partially consolidated billetprior to extrusion.

FIG. 22 shows a cross section detail of the billet in FIG. 21 afterextrusion.

FIG. 23 is a side cut away view of a canned precious metal billet thathas a thick metal sleeve inserted between the billet and the canisterwall.

FIG. 24 is an end cut away view of the canned billet in FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a ring of the subject invention with aportion cut away for illustrative purposes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of this invention is as illustrated in FIG. 1,showing a cylindrical metal container or canister 10, which is enclosedon one end, so as to form a negative space within the canister havingthe shape of a thick walled, cylindrical, tube. Inside of this negativespace are uniformly arranged, in alternating fashion a plurality ofmetal sheets 12, and 14. Metal sheets 12 are of one metal or alloy, andmetal sheets 14 are of another metal or alloy and of a contrastingcolor. In this example, all of the metal sheets 12 and 14 have beenshaped to a radius along their axis that allows the metal sheets 12 and14 to be inserted into the canister 10 in such a way as to form a spiralarrangement radiating from the center core wall 16 of canister 10 to theouter core wall or side wall 18 of canister 10. The center core wall maybe a tube centered on and affixed to the bottom 20 wall of the canister.Note the voids 22 between the metal sheets 12 and 14, as this extraspace around the sheets is for the proper folding and buckling of themetal when pressure is applied prior to and/or during the extrusionprocess.

In the next step of the process, referring to FIG. 2, canister 10 isinserted into a solid retaining die 24, the inner wall 26, of this diebeing smooth and preferably slightly tapered to assist in the laterejection of the consolidated canister 10, containing metal sheets 12,and 14. Retaining die 24, is designed to accommodate the shape ofcanister 10, with only enough clearance so as to be able to insertcanister 10. After insertion of canister 10, into retaining die 24, asolid core rod or mandrel 27 is inserted into the center hole 28, ofcanister 10. Piston 30, is then inserted into the inside of canister 10,and pressed against the ends of metal sheets 12 and 14, until theybuckle, fold, distort, stretch and ultimately consolidate into aconglomerated mass 32, of commingled metal sheets 12, and 14, which nowexhibits complex internal and surface patterning imparted by thisprocess. After consolidation the entire assembly including the canister10 and conglomerated mass 32 are ejected from the retaining die 24.

To prepare canister 10, with conglomerated mass 32 inside, for extrusionthe following steps are taken. First the excess height of canister 10 istrimmed away and a nosecone 34, as shown in FIG. 3, of an appropriatemetal (usually the same as the canister), is welded to the open end ofthe canister. From this point on, the nosecone 34 becomes an integralpart of canister 10. Nosecone 34 is used not only to seal canister 10,but also is shaped in such a way as to facilitate the entrance ofcanister 10 into the extrusion die 36, as shown in FIG. 4(A). Aftersealing, a small evacuation tube 38 is welded to canister 10, throughwhich the canister is evacuated using high vacuum equipment. Aftervacuuming to remove all air and moisture, the evacuation tube 38 ispermanently sealed.

Canister 10, with conglomerated mass 32 inside, is then extruded usingconventional extrusion techniques. FIGS. 4A and 4B provide a simpleillustration of the indirect extrusion process which may be used. FIG.4A shows a billet loaded and ready to be extruded; FIG. 4B shows theextrusion of the billet into tubing 44. Pre-heated canister 10 is placedin the heated extrusion container 40. Pressure is applied via the ram(not shown) to the extrusion die 36 which forces canister 10 and itscontents to be extruded through the space between the extrusion die 36and mandrel 42 to form composite metal tube 44 having at least twocontrasting colored metal components forming contrasting coloredpatterns having multi-directional planar orientations.

After extrusion, the metal that was once canister 10 is removed bymachining the ends as well as the interior and exterior of compositemetal tubing 44, or by pickling with an appropriate acid, until all thatremains of the tube is the extruded composite metals that were onceindividual metal sheets 12 and 14. At this point in the process thetubing may be drawn by conventional means to vary the outside and insidediameter of the tube, as well as to smooth and enhance the uniformity ofthe surface of the tubing. Alternately, the now thin metal layer thatwas once canister 10 may be left bonded to the composite metal tube 44,and be removed in the steps illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.

The canister may also be extruded without pre-pressing the billet to afully consolidated mass, intentionally leaving voids that remain betweenand around the metal components. In any case, the components, which maybe metal sheets, within the canister should be axially compressed to theextent that pattern development is introduced to the billet prior toextrusion. The hydrostatic extrusion process then exerts pressure on thecanned billet via the pressure transmitting fluid in the container andforces it to move into and through the die orifice causing the metalcomponents to fold, wrinkle, and deform in a substantially differentmanner, as illustrated in FIG. 10, than when a fully consolidated billetis extruded, as illustrated in FIG. 9. The use of conical dies typicalof hydrostatic presses also aid in this process. See the example in FIG.19 in which the canned billet from FIG. 3 is loaded into a hydrostaticpress. As pressure is applied to the billet within the container sleeveshown in FIG. 20 and it begins to move through the die, the metalcomponents are forced into the remaining voids of the billet. Becausethe pressure-transmitting fluid utilized in hydrostatic extrusioncreates equal radial and axial pressure, as pressure builds within thecontainer the metal components within the canister shift and move tofill the voids intentionally left within the billet. This causes themetal components (which have already been folded axially in thepre-extrusion consolidation process) to fold radially around the axis ofthe billet. FIG. 21 shows a cross section of the billet in FIG. 3 beforeextrusion. FIG. 22 shows the configuration of the metal components afterextrusion. Each radial fold in turn increases the number of layerswithin a given cross section of the tube and also introduces greateroverall complexity to the billet pattern. With this technique, patterndevelopment is controlled by the amount of empty space left within thepartially consolidated billet, the form and arrangement of the metalcomponents, angle of the die cone and other variables which affect howthe billet is pushed into and through the die orifice.

FIG. 5 illustrates how a simple half round band 46 may be cut on a lathefrom composite metal tubing 44. A tool bit 48 shaped to the half roundprofile of band 46 is used to machine the ring out of tubing 44.Alternately a smaller bit may be used to cut the profile of band 46 ifit is effectively controlled by a computer-controlled lathe, or aconventional ring lathe.

FIG. 6 shows how the same composite metal tubing 44 was cut with acomputer controlled machine to form a squared band 50. It is importantto note that even though the same composite tubing 44 was used for bothband 46, and 50, the pattern showing on the surface of the rings isquite different, because of the way metal sheets 12 and 14 are revealedwhen cut to varying depths and angles. Tubing 44 includes a cavity 51therethrough in the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 7 illustrates the machining of another ring to create the differentpattern shown on ring 52. The same tubing is used as in bands 46 and 50,but in this case tool bit 54, having a different profile from tool bit48, is used to shape the ring so as to form two rounded grooves 56 inring 52. Because metal sheets 12 and 14 were inserted in canister 10 ina spiraling, overlapping, and shingled manner, when the layers of tubing44 are grooved in this manner a scalloped pattern emerges which is quitedifferent from the pattern produced by the simple rounded profile oftool bit 48. After cutting a grooved profile in the ring it is parted(cut) off from the tubing. The ring may be left with the profile ofgrooves 56, or any other profile desired, or rolled smooth as in thefollowing paragraph. It should be noted that while this illustrationutilizes net shaped cutting tools to achieve the desired ring profile,that many different tools could be used to impart the desired shape.

FIG. 8 shows one of the many post extrusion pattern manipulationspossible utilizing ring section 52, of tubing 44. After parting, ringsection 52, which has been cut with grooves 56, is rolled with a ringroller whose outside roller die 58 is shaped to a half round profile andthe inside roller die 62 has a flat profile. This forces the metal ofthe band to conform to the shape of these roller dies and creates a ringwith a simple half round form. The ring section 52 now has the complexsurface pattern imparted initially by the inherent pattern of tubing 44that has now been enhanced by the grooves cut with tool bit 54 and theadditional deformation, stretching and shaping caused by roller dies 58and 62. It should be understood that a great variety of post extrusionpattern manipulations can be accomplished by varying the number, size,and contour of grooves and cuts made in a ring such as ring section 52.

In addition to lathe cutting ring section 52 in a variety of ways, othertechniques such as milling, pressing, forging, and die striking intoshaped dies can be used to compress pattern layers in certain areas oftube 44 or parts such as ring section 52 and thereby enhance thecomplexity of the finished ring pattern design. After pressing, forging,or die striking, tube 44 (or a section thereof) is once again machinedon the lathe to remove variations in thickness, expose additional layersof metal, and true up the band to the desired shape. With the advent ofCNC (computer numerically controlled) lathes and milling machines,extremely complex non-linear three dimensional designs may be cut intothe surface of rings and other objects made from this tubing. Thesedesigns may be left as is, or rolled with a ring roller to smooth andflatten the pattern flush to the surface of the ring.

While the invention has been described with reference to metal sheets 12and 14 positioned in canister 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-10, it shouldbe recognized that many different forms of metals and their alloys maybe utilized in the production of composite metal tubing, bar, plate, andsheet, and that there is great variety in the finished product, whichmay be determined by:

-   -   1. The metals and alloys selected.    -   2. The form of the metals and alloys.    -   3. The manner in which these metals and alloys are arranged in        the extrusion canister.    -   4. The manner in which and degree of which these metals and        alloys are consolidated.    -   5. The manner in which post extrusion pattern manipulation is        affected upon said tubing, bar, plate, and sheet.

FIG. 11 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the inventiveprocess, which yields composite metal tubing, similar to tubing 44. Thisembodiment may also be used to produce solid rod, plate, or sheet metal.In this example, metal sheets 64 are arranged in the same manner asmetal sheets 12, in FIG. 1. However, in place of the component alloy ormetal comprising metal sheets 14 in FIG. 1, an alloy distinct from metalsheets 64 is used in the form of powdered metal 66, and is looselyfilled in and around metal sheets 64 in canister 63, which is identicalto canister 10. The contents of canister 63 then undergo the samepre-consolidation, evacuation, sealing, and extrusion as canister 10illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Because the powdered metal 66 withinthe canister 63 is much more fluid than metal in sheet form, it flowsdifferently during pre-consolidation pressing, and extrusion. When metalsheets 64 begin to buckle and fold under the stress of pressing andextrusion, the loose powder is forced away from areas of contact betweenmetals sheets 64 and is concentrated in pockets surrounding them. Thepowdered metal 66 component, of the consolidated mass, therefore takeson a shape of greater dimensional variation than that of metal sheets 64whose lines sometimes touch, but remain fairly constant in thickness,relative to the angle at which they intersect the surface of the tube.By creating a composite tube in this manner, the surface and internalpattern of the finished composite metal tube is altered from the patterndisplayed in tubing 44 and appears as illustrated in the detail drawing,FIG. 12. Similar patterns are formed on both the inside and outside oftubing 44. A detail drawing of tubing 44 is shown in FIG. 13, whosepatterning is characterized by all lines being of a relativelyconsistent thickness, and by the fact that two sheets of the same metalrarely if ever touch one another. If multiple thicknesses are observedin the final product these are the result of one hundred eighty degreefolding which has occurred during the consolidation process as notedelsewhere in this patent. The folds 67 are shown in FIG. 13 are forillustrative purposes. In an actual extruded tube, all layers would bewelded together and appear as a solid piece. If desired a simplevariation of this pattern involves adding small shot 68, to the powder,which appears in the pattern as illustrated in FIG. 12A.

FIG. 14 illustrates another preferred embodiment for the production ofcomposite metal extrusions, which yields a finished pattern differentfrom the previous examples. It shows canister 70, which is identical tocanister 10, in which a perforated sheet 72 of varying thickness isarranged in the canister, surrounded by powdered metal 74.

FIG. 15 illustrates another preferred embodiment for the production ofcomposite metal extrusions, which yields a finished pattern differentfrom the previous examples. It shows canister 76, which is identical tocanister 10, in which ribbons of distinct component metals 78 and 80,having an orientation which radiates outward from center of canister 76,are spiraled between the center core wall 82 and outer core wall 84,which are identical to center core wall 16 and outer core wall 18 ofcanister 10 in FIG. 1. As the metal is placed into canister 76, thecomponent metals may be twisted, twirled, folded, bent or otherwiseshaped to introduce a greater degree of complexity to the patterncreated by this process. Solid metal pieces in the form of shots 85,wire 86, rod 88, and pieces of previously extruded composite metal 90,may also be placed between the layers as it is arranged within canister76. This process may be made more efficient if the component metals 78and 80 have been bonded in a previous step to form an integralbi-metallic ribbon.

FIG. 16 illustrates yet another preferred embodiment for the productionof a composite metal extrusion, which yields a finished pattern verydifferent from the previous examples. It shows canister 90, which isidentical to canister 10, in which straight rods of composite metal 92are arranged in the canister. These are previously extruded compositemetal rods that have a core of metal 94, surrounded by an outer layer ofmetal 96 as shown in the rod detail, FIG. 17 so that metal 94 isintegral with metal 96. The rods may be arranged loosely within thecanister and pressed. This will upset them causing the rods to changeshape by thickening and distorting as they are forced into the voidssurrounding them resulting in a significant change to the patternstructure of the billet. The billet is consolidated during this process.The rods may also be packed tightly within the canister and extrudedwithout substantial pre-consolidation so as to better retain theirstraightness and uniformity. If these rods are packed loosely incanister 90, it may be appropriate to have a metal fixture in either endof the canister in which the rods can be inserted, thereby maintainingtheir relative positions. FIG. 18 illustrates a finished pattern of thisembodiment after the extrusion has been cut to a simple half round ringshape. Ring 98 is in the form of a seamless annulus, defining opening100, for receiving a human finger.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cross-section of a partially consolidated billet32 inside its canister 10 and also details of the partially consolidatedbillet. Item 102 shows a one hundred eighty degree fold of one metal104. The other metal 106 is also shown. Item 107 illustrates voidsbetween metal 104 and metal 106.

FIG. 19 illustrates another embodiment of the invention, which utilizesthe hydrostatic extrusion process to consolidate and extrude a partiallyconsolidated canned billet so as to yield a tube with a unique internaland surface pattern. A pre-heated, canned, billet 32 such as the oneillustrated in FIG. 21, is loaded into the heated press container 111with the mandrel fixture 108 inserted in the hole at the center of thebillet. Pressure transmitting fluid 110 is then pumped into thecontainer around the billet. As the ram 112 applies pressure to thepressure transmitting fluid, as seen is FIG. 20, the partiallyconsolidated billet begins to collapse radially and axially, as itsimultaneously begins to extrude through the die 114. Because there issubstantially no friction between the canned billet and the container, agreater die cone angle, and since the pressure transmitting fluid actsas a lubricant as the billet passes through the die, the billet extrudesto a fully consolidated mass with the desired radial distortion andminimum axial distortion as shown in FIG. 22. Note that there are novoids in FIG. 22 and that metals 104 and 106 and folds 102 from FIG. 21have been welded together as a result of the extrusion processillustrated as items 104, 106 and 102 respectively. FIG. 9 shows tubing44 that was extruded by the indirect extrusion method as illustrated inFIG. 4. FIG. 10 shows tube 60 that was extruded by the hydrostaticextrusion method as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20.

Another embodiment of the invention that can also be used to decreaseaxial distortion is to position the billet 32 within a thick metalsleeve 116 inside the canister 10. (FIGS. 23 and 24) This positions theactual billet away from the perimeter of the canister, and thereforeaway from the areas of greatest distortion, and locates the billetitself in the area of least distortion. By reversing the positioning ofthe actual billet and the thick metal filler, one may impart greaterdistortion to the billet constituents if this is desired.

Seamless rings may be made in accordance with the teaching herein havingcharacteristics which are imparted by the normal processes disclosedherein, including but not limited to the following novel attributes:

-   -   1. The radial orientation of the patterned composite tube        wherein the component metals or alloys are arranged around the        axis of the tubing center (axisymetric) so as to form a        continuous seamless tube and ring as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 9,        10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 25.    -   2. The attributes imparted to the composite billet during the        pre-extrusion consolidation process in which changes to the        planar orientation and distortion of the component metals, for        the purpose in introducing decorative pattern variations to the        billet, are distributed throughout the entire billet, tubing,        and rings, as opposed to being predominantly constrained to the        upper surface regions of material produced by conventional flat        lamination, wherein portions of the surface(s) of the laminate        are selectively cut away and then pressed, forged, or rolled in        a manner so as to bring the patterned metal exposed by said        cutting, up to and flush with the surface of the billet. This        distribution of patterned areas throughout the billet is        illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, 21, 22 and 25.    -   3. The composite material formed by this process may have areas        where layers are folded one hundred eighty degrees back upon        themselves, which creates a double (or even triple) thickness of        the layer that is then bonded to itself during the extrusion        process. This folding to create bonded multiple folds from one        layer of metal is a unique characteristic of the process, which        is associated with the methodology of patterning the billet        prior to the bonding of the component metals instead of after        bonding as in prior art. This is illustrated in FIGS. 13, 21,        and 22.    -   4. In this process the bulk of pattern development takes place        during the arrangement and consolidation of the component billet        metals within the canister and/or consolidation die, prior to        bonding. In this way it is possible to introduce changes in        planar orientation to individual pieces of metal as well as the        collective components. Component metals are arranged in the die,        so that a plurality of said metals intersects the outside,        and/or inside surface(s) of the composite billet. During        extrusion these separate pieces become a metallurgically bonded        composite tube displaying decorative patterning on the inside        surface, the outside surface and within the body of the tube and        rings derived therefrom. This is illustrated in FIGS. 12, 12A,        and 13.    -   5. The use of the extrusion process to impart premeditated        alterations and distortions to the planar orientation of the        metal components within the billet to further enhance the        pattern of the extruded tube by taking advantage of metal flow        patterns associated with various extrusion processes. For        example, different distorting effects can be achieved by        utilizing extrusion dies with different die cone angles.    -   6. The use of extrusion cans or other metal sleeves within the        can of varying thicknesses to aid in the control of the        uniformity of the flow of the billet so as to orient the billet        in an area of lesser or greater distortion during the extrusion        process, thereby positively impacting the enhancement of the        decorative pattern displayed in the final product. For example,        see FIGS. 23 and 24 in which the precious metal billet is        located well away from the perimeter of the can where the        greatest amount of flow distortion takes place. After extrusion        the precious metal billet maintains a high degree of regularity        with little distortion.    -   7. The inclusion in the canister of an additional non-compressed        metal component placed around center core wall 16 (FIG. 1)        between the billet metal components and the center core wall so        as to form a continuous integral metal lining (not shown) to the        extruded tube.    -   8. The use of post extrusion machining and manipulation of the        extruded tubing, or sections thereof, to alter or enhance the        inherent pattern exhibited on the surface of the finished        product. FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 18 and 25.

A preferred method of this invention comprises arranging in a canister,or can, of cylindrical shape and design, in a regular premeditatedmanner, or in an irregular or indiscriminate manner, two or moredistinct components, or a plurality of each of two or more distinctcomponents, of either similar or dissimilar shape or outline, eachcomponent being of metallic or alloy form, and each being of a metal oralloy different, and contrasting in color from that of the othercomponent or components, so as to form within the container a loosearrangement of the contrasting colored components of predetermineddimension and having a cumulative volume of less than 100% of the volumeof the canister. The preferred next step in the process is taken toalter and distort the simple orderly arrangement of the metal componentsdescribed above within the canister, and to impart complex folds anddistortion to the planar orientation of the billet metal componentsprior to extrusion. To do this, longitudinal (z axis) pressure isapplied to the ends of said arrangement within the canister, usually byemploying a hydraulic press, so as to cause the solid metal componentswithin the canister to bend, fold, stretch and deform in a calculatedmanner as they are forced into the voids within the canister calculatedtherein for this purpose. As more pressure is applied to the metalwithin the canister, the metal components are pushed into the voidsaround them until given enough pressure, the mass approaches 100%consolidation. During this pressing process, both the outside of thecylindrical canister (or can) and the inner wall of the cylindrical canare supported within a solid die so as to retain the cylindrical shapeof the billet even with the substantial pressure necessary toconsolidate the metal components within in it. In most cases wheresurface oxidation of one or more of the component metals or alloys mayinterfere with the satisfactory bonding of the components duringextrusion, it will be found advantageous to conduct this consolidationstep in an atmosphere of inert gas or in a vacuum. After consolidation,the billet is sealed within the canister by welding, preferably in anatmosphere of inert gas or in a vacuum. Alternately, the welded canistermay be fitted with an evacuation tube, through which the can may beevacuated to remove moisture or gaseous contaminants. After evacuationthis tube is crimped and sealed. The material of the canister ispreferably, although not necessarily, the same as that of one of thecomponents of the billet, however, any material compatible with thecomponent metals of the billet may be used and simply removed from thebillet after extrusion.

The preferred canister, with consolidated billet inside, is then placedin the heated container sleeve of the extrusion press where sufficientpressure is applied to the canned billet and causes it to be extrudedthrough a die of the desired size and shape, which pressure welds thecomponents thereof together, whereby a composite of regularly orirregularly patterned metal tube exhibiting contrasting colors on itssurface and within its mass is produced.

The metal components may also be partially or fully consolidated priorto extrusion in a separate die and then transferred to, and sealedwithin, a suitable extrusion canister.

The metal components may be consolidated by methods other than hydraulicpressing, such as hot press sintering or Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIPing)which may also promote desired metallurgical bonding.

It is important to note that while many of the examples given todemonstrate this process relate directly to the manufacture of compositemetal tubing for rings, that solid bar material of any cross sectionalprofile may also be extruded for other purposes, such as production ofpatterned composite decorative items such as, rod, wire, plate, orsheet, and also it is equally preferable that by the same process, solidbar may be produced having a core of an inexpensive expendable metal,such as copper, which in a later step is removed by axial drilling andor acid pickling to render tubing from the solid extruded bar.Therefore, as used herein, the term “tubing,” in reference to tubing 44,includes both hollow members and solid members. To manufacture a solidtubing or bar, center core wall 16 should not be used in container 10for the compression step and a mandrel, such as mandrel 108, should notbe used for the extrusion step. For extruding solid bar, the billetmetal components may be loaded in the canister in either a radial ornon-radial arrangement, whichever is preferred.

The metallic or alloy components employed in carrying out the inventionmay be of any suitable or desired form. For example, they may be in theform of flat or shaped sheet metal, perforated sheet, textured sheet,strip, fragments, scrap, grain, shot or powder, or may take the form ofrods, wire, wire mesh and tubing, either hollow or filled. One componentmetal or alloy may take the form of a plurality of rods, strips orfragments, while the other component or components may be in the form ofa metal powder. Or any other suitable combination may be employed asfound desirable, it only being necessary to ensure that each componentis of a different metal or alloy, and of a contrasting color, from thatof the other components or components. From a design standpoint it maybe desirable to make one or more components out of a previously extrudedcomposite metal material, in any shape or form, exhibiting either simpleor complex surface and internal patterning, to enhance the pattern andcomplexity of the material presently being extruded. From a technicalstandpoint, because of the great variance in bonding parameters and thedifficulties encountered when bonding such metals as Tantalum, Titanium,Niobium and others, it may prove advantageous to clad these metals priorto extrusion, with a metal that is more compatible to the particularmetals or alloys selected for the composite metal extrusion beingproduced.

Any suitable combination of metals and or alloys may be used in carryingout the invention provided that the metals form a strong and permanentmetallurgical bond capable of withstanding the stresses of manufacturingand use, the particular choice of materials to be used being dependenton the particular purpose for which the extruded product is intended.

The invention may be carried out in a great number of ways, by changingthe different variables of the metal component's form, size, thickness,alloy, color, arrangement, method of consolidation, volume of thematerial relative to the volume of the canister before pre-pressing, anddegree of consolidation when beginning extrusion. Variations in thefinished product may also be affected by the extrusion method, forexample direct, indirect, or hydrostatic extrusion, the shape of thecanister and billet to be extruded, shape of the extrusion die, angle ofthe extrusion die cone, percent of reduction (and therefore distortionof the pattern produced) of the extruded product, and post extrusionpattern manipulation of the composite metal extrusion. Thesemanipulations in their simplest form may include for example, machiningof the tubing into a simple flat or half round band, or cutting groovesor channels in the band to further expose the pattern of the compositemetals. These grooves may be left in a three dimensional form, or rolledsmooth and flush to the surface of the ring with the aid of theappropriately shaped die of a ring roller. Another example of usingextruded tubing and post extrusion manipulation in concert to achievethe desired surface pattern is to proceed as follows. First a compositemetal tube is extruded having any outer shape or configuration otherthan perfectly round. For the sake of this example, let us assume thetubing is square on the outside and round on the inside. This tubing isplaced in a lathe and the corners of the square tubing are removed byturning the tubing down until the outside is round. As the corners areremoved by cutting on the lathe, layers of metal that were once in theinterior of the composite tube are now exposed at the new surface level,creating greater complexity and variations to the pattern displayed onthe surface of the ring. Conversely, a similar surface pattern may beachieved by extruding round tubing and then machining the outside of thetube to a square shape (see FIG. 6). The decorative pattern on thesurface of these rings will be very similar, but one will be in the formof a round ring, whereas the other will be square.

The methods taught herein enable the production of seamless tubing andrings having at least two contrasting colored metal components whereincontrasting colored patterns having multi-directional planarorientations may be formed in all areas of the tubing and rings, such ason the outside and inside surfaces, which patterns are derived from acompressed composite billet.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 can be modified so that the inner surface ofthe rings or tubing will not show the patterns. If sheets 14 arenarrower than sheets 12 or if center core wall 16 is made from the samemetal as metal sheet 14, where sheets 12 and 14 are of the same width,and the center core wall is not removed after extrusion, then thepatterns will not be visible on the inside surface.

FIG. 25 shows seamless ring 118 with a portion cut away. As can be seen,the pattern occurs both on outside surface 120 and inside surface 122.In addition, the patterns are consistently distributed throughout thedepth 124 of the ring. These same patterns will occur on the surfaces ofand within tube 60 from which each ring is cut.

As can be seen by the above examples, there are many distinct patterndesigns that may be produced by varying the form of the metals withinthe canister, their arrangement, and orientation. Applications of thisinvention make it possible to efficiently and economically produce anyof these designs in the form of seamless tubing, bar, plate, or sheetmetal.

1. A method for producing multicolor metal rings comprising: looselyarranging in a container at least three solid metal sheets; at least twoof the metal sheets being of a different color; the metal sheets beingarranged in an alternating fashion so that the colors alternate;providing voids between at least some of the metal sheets; compressingthe metal sheets in the container thereby folding and buckling the metalsheets in at least some of the voids so as to form a billet of distortedmulticolored metal having complex patterns with multi-directionalsurface orientations; forming folds of approximately one hundred eightydegrees (180°) in at least some of the metal sheets wherein at leastsome of the metal sheets are folded back upon themselves; forming atubing by extruding the billet thereby bonding the metal sheets togetherand forming multicolored patterns in the tubing; and formingmulticolored metal rings from the tubing.
 2. A method as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the container is a canister having a sidewall and abottom wall, thereby forming an open space; a tubular core substantiallycentered on and affixed to the bottom wall; the metal sheets beingarranged between the sidewall and the tubular core.
 3. A method as setforth in claim 1 wherein the distorted multicolored patterns of thebillet are developed prior to extrusion.
 4. A method as set forth inclaim 1 further including cutting at least one groove in the tubingthereby altering the multicolored pattern.
 5. A method as set forth inclaim 1 wherein multicolored patterns are consistently distributedthroughout the depth of the tubing.
 6. A method as set forth in claim 1wherein the metal rings are machined from the tubing.
 7. A method as setforth in claim 1 wherein at least some of the contrasting colored metalsheets are separate from one another at the time that the sheets arearranged in the container.
 8. A method as set forth in claim 1 whereinat least some of the contrastingly colored metal sheets are integralwith one another at the time the sheets are arranged in the container.9. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein extruding the billet isaccomplished by an indirect extrusion process.
 10. A method as set forthin claim 1 wherein extruding the billet is accomplished by a hydrostaticextrusion process.
 11. A method as set forth in claim 1 whereinextruding the billet is accomplished by a direct extrusion.
 12. A methodas set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is hollow.
 13. A method asset forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is solid.
 14. A method as setforth in claim 13 wherein the tubing includes a solid core; removing thesolid core.
 15. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the compressionof the metal sheets leaves spaces between portions of the metal sheets;further distorting the compressed metal sheets during extrusion wherebythe multicolored patterns are enhanced.
 16. A method as set forth inclaim 1 further including forging at least portions of the tubing.
 17. Amethod as set forth in claim 1 further including rolling at leastportions of the tubing.
 18. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein thedistortion of the multicolored metal occurs when the metal sheets arecompressed.
 19. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the patternshave a radial orientation to the longitudinal axis of the tubing; thetubing having a circumference; the patterns occurring around thecircumference of the tubing.
 20. A method as set forth in claim 1further including removing air and moisture after the formation of thebillet.
 21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the air andmoisture is removed by the application of a vacuum.
 22. A method as setforth in claim 20 further including heating the container prior toextruding.
 23. A method as set forth in claim 21 further includingsealing the container prior to the application of the vacuum; affixingan evacuation tube to the container.